Powers/Abilities: The Top Man was skilled with firearms
and presumably had some experience with hand-to-hand combat, though he usually
employed others to do his dirty work for him. He commanded a small army of
mobsters, armed with conventional firearms as well as a variety of high-tech
equipment. Amongst this equipment was bulletproof protective clothing, guns
firing force blast shells (which could be used in tandem to form a circle
of force), smoke screen generators, refrigi-rays (able to generate ice),
tranquilizer gas (possibly the same as their Noxo-Gas)

History:
(Fantastic Four I#101 (fb) - BTS) - In order to gain access to the technology
of the Fantastic Four, the Top Man purchased the Baxter Building from its
previous employer

(Fantastic Four I#101) - Disguised as the doorman for the
Baxter Building, the Top Man delivered a notice from the Maggia to the Fantastic
Four, warning them to move out. The Top Man later met at a New York restaurant
with several of his lieutenants, and they discussed his plans to legally
take control of the Fantastic Four's HQ. The next day, agents of the Maggia,
wearing special masked costumes, landed a ship on the Baxter Building's roof.
The Human Torch flew to stop them, but the agents used a combination of high-tech
weapons to subdue him, and they captured and drugged him. Ben, Reed, and
Crystal arrived soon after, but the Maggia men had spread throughout their
HQ. The Maggia ambushed the trio with Noxo-Gas, which incapacitated them.
However, Gimlet then disobeyed the Top Man's orders and tried to kill the
Fantastic Four. Sue sneaked into the Baxter Building, but they eventually
discovered and captured her, but she delayed them long enough for the rest
of the Fantastic Four to escape their death trap and return. The combined
Fantastic Four (five, actually) made short work of the Maggia men, but when
Gimlet pulled a gun, the Baxter Building's doorman pulled his gun and shot
him. The doorman claimed to be just doing his duty, but Reed saw through
his disguise and realized that he was the Top Man. He had killed Gimlet for
ruining his plans for a legal takeover, but he had also foiled his own plans
by committing murder. He was sent to prison.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#7
(fb) - BTS) - The Top Man's claims to owning the Baxter Building were
dismissed by the courts, and the Top Man was reportedly assassinated by order
of his own family.

Comments: Created by Stan "The Man" Lee and Jack
"King" Kirby.

According the Maggia entry in the OHotMU, the branch of
the Maggia that would become known as the "Hammerhead family" had long been
dominated by middle-aged Maggia traditionalists. After the death of the Top
Man, the Maggia sought a new leader who would direct operations along thoroughly
traditional lines, and chose Hammerhead, who after suffering amnesia had
adopted a ruthless persona shaped by gangster films. They continue to mostly
use weapons from the Prohibition Era, though they do sometimes rely on advanced
technology, such as Hammerhead's occasionally used exoskeleton.

HUMAN TOP - see David Mitchell - World
War II, Kid Commandos,Penance Council, father of Topspin, mutated
by weapon of Agent Axis overloaded by Bucky and Toro.--Invaders I#27,(HT)
28 (Citizen V and the V Battalion#1(fb3), 2(fb2)à Mitchell)

One of the Top Man's enforcers, he allowed Gimlet to shoot
him in the chest to prove the efficacy of the Top Man's new protective clothes.
He presumably participated in the attempted takeover of the Baxter Building.

One of the Top Man's lieutenants, he led the effort to
takeover the Baxter Building and the successful defeat of the four of the
team members. However, he disobeyed the Top Man's order of no killing. Figuring
that the "Maggia Supreme Council" would promote him to be the new Top Man
after seeing how he had handled things, he ordered the unconscious heroes
to be placed within sealed boxes and dumped into the sea by the

--Fantastic Four I#101

The word Gimlet has two definitions:

A hand tool for boring holes

A cocktail made of gin or vodka and lime
juice

Both are potentially applicable, but I'd guess he took
his name from the latter.